Der Fluch der bösen Tat
by little-warrior
Summary: Set directly after the death of the eldest Schwarz decides to vanish from Eszett's view but Eszett has already sent their agents after them. And one of them might even kill them. Mostly focusing on Crawford
1. Chapter 1

Very well, this is my first fanfiction. I do not own Weiß Kreuz nor any of its characters…

English is not my native language, but I still hope that I haven't made too many mistakes.

If you like, tell me if you found some and I'd be glade to correct them.

Have fun reading!

Chapter 1: Frühstücksterz

Waking brought pain. First, when Crawford perceived the faint light falling through the half drawn curtains, he neither knew where he was nor what had happened nor exactly when he was. Being able to see the future (and not in a way that he was able to say everything he saw would take place on, say, that day, though that was usual) made it sometimes hard to place his own existence. Had what he remembered already passed or was it still to come? Was what he thought to be future, future indeed or already gone? It took him a while to work through his chronology.

Takatori was dead. That was certain. Schreient was dead, too (but Tot, alas). But were they to encounter Eszett or had they already? His eyes trace the sunlight back to the curtain. His alarm clock hadn't rung, the sun was already shining and his body was aching like hell. Additionally, there was still the taste of salt on his lips. So, he was very certain that that day he remembered had really already happened. Lucky him. Also, his surrounding wasn't the one he was used to. For a moment, he considered whether he should just turn around and sleep on. There wouldn't be much to do today, just planning to make sure that Eszett believed, they were dead and, most of all, hadn't killed the eldest… too much to do to turn around. Thus, he sat up and felt for his glasses which he placed slowly and carefully on his nose. He forced himself to wardrobe to dress and realized that dust was lying thick on every piece of furniture (to call two wracked beds, a wardrobe and a ruined desk furniture was quite an exhilaration). Maybe he could get the other members of Schwarz to clean the apartment. Maybe he had been knocked on the head or swallowed too much water. Oh, well. Possibly Nagi would do some cleaning and he might even be able to persuade Schuldig to clean the living room if he told him that spiders would otherwise start living there.

He tied his tie and left his room into a very quiet apartment, a bit slower than usually, but it wasn't easy moving quickly when every muscle in your body had to be forced to move.

The kitchen wasn't quite as quiet, even though Nagi was the only one awake.

"You are late! Who's going to drive me to school, anyway? The first lesson has already started!"

"You are not going. You drowned yesterday." Nagi would certainly like that. Why, he couldn't understand. He, Crawford, had always like school a great deal. But his classmates, that was. But it seemed that Nagi wasn't quite as eager to learn as he had been. He was only up because he knew, he would be in huge trouble with Crawford if he wouldn't rise in time.

"The living-room needs some cleaning and so does the bath and everything else." Crawford observed helping himself to a mug, considering the boy's mood couldn't get worse anyway.

A smile boarded on Nagi's face. "Cool! I'm going to do the bath if I can do what I want for the rest of the day!"

Crawford considered only a second. He hadn't thought it would be quite as easy to convince the boy. There could be only one reason. A very noisy and tether straining one. Tot. "I don't think so."

Nagi directed a teapot through the midair towards his mug, looking at him rather begging. "I am going to do the kitchen, too!"

Crawford reached for the now filled mug and caught it. "Clean both and you may do whatever you want for the rest of the day."

Nagi grinned, in triumph, the teapot hovering slowly backwards

"But leaving the apartment and least of all contacting Tot. And if you let that teapot drop, you are also going to do the living room." He turned to his tea fancying himself happy that Nagi had only the talent of telekinesis, not of killing with his eyes. Not yet.

The teapot hit the table a bit harder than Crawford knew Nagi would have been capable of. He considered a moment whether he should comment but decided not to as the door hit the wall in the same second with quite a big bang, Schuldig was standing in the doorway.

"Good morning!", he grinned, as usual in a good mood and in an even better one as Crawford had jumped when the door had hit the wall. "You jumped!"

The clairvoyant looked at him, crossly. "If I bothered to foresee every fooly of yours I wouldn't even find time to eat!"

"Uh! Bad mood, this morning, haven't we?", the telepath grinned with a look at Nagi and propelled a bag of rolls onto the table. "Breath! Laugh! We are alive!"

Crawford's eyes, on their way back to his tea, caught the bag. "What's that?"

"Rolls? Why do you look so pissed, Nagi? Shouldn't you be at school?" Of course, Schuldig was teasing Nagi, knowing perfectly well that the boy didn't like school too much.

"Where did you get them from?" Crawford, suspicious. Maybe he should have indeed taken a closer look at the future before rising. But who could know that Schuldig would for once be up before him… well, he could.

"Crawford told me not to phone Tot, that's what's wrong, Blödmann!" All of them had learned German when they had been to Bavaria.

Schuldig grinned. "Guess he foresaw her answers! – Would 've acted the same way, Crawford!"

"Where did you get these rolls from?!" Crawford was quite at the end of his tether now; he hated being ignored and he hated even more being caught by surprise.

In the same moment the door to the apartment slammed close and Nagi jumped, stopping in the mid sentence of talking back to Schuldig in a very rude way (which he would have had anyway by the look Crawford gave him. But the door helped).

Schuldig rolled his eyes. "From the grocery, of course!"

Farfarello entered the kitchen, carrying a big back with food, not without difficulties for it was filled to the top. Schuldig grabbed a newspaper from it and threw it onto the table in front of Crawford who lifted his mug just in time. "I even thought of your newspaper." Schuldig seemed to be very satisfied.

"You could have carried something, too!", complained Farfarello.

"The grocery?!" Crawford looked at him in disbelieve. "Did your brain drown yesterday?!"

Schuldig was obviously offended. "You complain that we never do anything and if we do, you are pissed!"

"But I won't help you to put them away", Farfarello went on. "… being selfish hurts god."

"Have you ever considered thinking before doing something?"

"If you don't like it, why didn't you prevent it?!"

Meanwhile, Farfarello was looking at the knives in the cupboard, bored by the argument and Nagi was listening.

Crawford pushed up his glasses, quite enraged by now. He would certainly not admit that he had been far too exhausted yesterday to see anything. Not to mention that he still felt wasted. "I had hoped you would consider our situation before – going out for groceries!"

"Well?! Eszett will conclude that we escaped and the eldest didn't." Schuldig shrugged. "Why should they suppose it was our fault?"

"They will not be pleased that we didn't give our lives to save them, will they, Crawford-san?" Nagi interrupted.

Both Schuldig and Crawford turned around to Nagi.

After a moment, Crawford stood up, slowly, but still too quick for his hurting muscles. He was irated but considered for a moment; he hadn't had a vision that had warned him about anything dangerous. Not today and not for the next few days. And, yes, it would have been a difficult task to hide their survival from Eszett. Impossible, nearly. But still, he hated it when his plans were disturbed or even destroyed in such a way as Schuldig had just managed and just in this moment he would have liked to shoot the telepath. Thus, he would have to turn to plan B: Run from Eszett as long as possible and taking advantage of the possibility that – how slight the chances might ever be – they would not come to know about Schuldig's and Farfarello's shopping tour too soon. Which they didn't seem to.

Schuldig had obviously taken his point for he did not say anything but still looking upset.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was Farfarello trying out how sharp the knives were. ("God doesn't like blood.")

Crawford turned to the window, trying to control his anger. "It will take Eszett some time to reorganize and one or two days more to be after us. That should give us enough time to leave Japan, anyway." He turned around, the light of the young sun glittering on his glasses. "But I don't think, we have much time to loose."

Silence for a moment.

"I don't think we would have had much time to loose anyway…" Schuldig tried apologetically.

Crawford shrugged, leaning against the window, his calm returning. "Probably."

Silence again.

"So there is no need to clean the house?" Nagi asked hopefully.

A small smile around Crawford's lips. "You wish. Farfarello is going to do the kitchen as he will have to clean away his blood, anyway."

Farfarello stopped with the knife not yet pushed into his skin.

"Schuldig, I don't suppose you thought of cleaning things, did you?"

"Pff."

"I thought so. You'll do the living room."

"We will move out anyway!"

Crawford didn't even bother to answer, while Nagi had already turned the radio on so that any conservation was drowned. Crawford took a plate and a knife from the cupboard and sat back down, his tea being close to cold by now.

Schuldig gave him a sullen look, but supplying himself with the same things plus a cup to sit down next to Crawford. Farfarello had put the knives away and was now sitting down opposite of him.

"May I phone Tot now?" Nagi asked.

Schuldig laughed, reaching for the butter from the bag. "Don't you blush at your thoughts?"

Nagi blushed. "Stop it!"

"Don't worry. I won't tell the others. Or will I?"

"Leave the boy, Schuldig." Crawford, already hiding behind the newspaper, but not as if he cared.

"Don't be such a bore, Brad!"

"It is Crawford."

For a moment everyone was busy chewing.

"What is he thinking?"

"_You_ are interested, Farfarello?"

"God does not like sinful thoughts."

"Well, then I will tell you, I think…"

The teapot Nagi had taken control of was now hovering above Schuldig's head. "If you say anything, I will let it drop!"

"Be careful, Nagi, that is our only teapot", Schuldig grinned.

Crawford had to hide a smile; life was very much back to normal.

"What has he been thinking, now?" Farfarello asked again. Maybe to tease Nagi, too. (Teasing children hurt god, too, and by the way was fun.)

"That he is going to eat jam next!" Schuldig laughing loudly that his prank had worked out once again.

"Arschloch!" Nagi dropped the teapot far enough that some of the liquid fell onto Schuldig's hair.

"Du Arsch! Leave my hair!"

"I warned you!" The teapot landed safely back on the table.

Silence for a moment, the radio playing another song.

"And? What's up in the world?" Schuldig asked when the silence grew too much for him, turning to Crawford.

"Nothing special; some big building in the bay of Tokyo collapsed into the sea; they suppose it was due to an earthquake and fear that many people died as some kind of meeting was going on when the building collapsed…"

"How are your funds?"

No answer.

Schuldig started pulling at the newspaper.

Crawford lowered it, slowly and by no means pleased. "Can I help you?"

"I want a part, too." Huge, begging blue eyes.

Nagi and Farfarello grinning at each other.

"You can have it all." Crawford knew that Schuldig wouldn't stop his pranks for the rest of the morning, so he decided he was better off if he left. Anyway, there wasn't much time left to deal with their escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hausarbeit

After he had brushed his teeth, Crawford started with his own room (or rather the one he would hate to share with Schuldig, as the flat only had three rooms but bath and kitchen), hovering the floor first before anyone of the others would be finished with breakfast.

When he was leaving the room, only dressed in his shirt, with rolled up sleeves and his usual trouser which was with its crease far too good for this kind of work, to do the hall, loud music was banging through the house.

Schuldig. And he knew this song. For a moment, he considered, whether he should asked him to turn the music, then decided against it. E nominee, he supposed. Strangely, it somehow fitted Schuldig. Strangely it fitted all of them. Maybe it was best for Farfarello.

He looked into the living room. Schuldig was dusting the television. He hadn't done such a bad job until now; the table and the empty cupboard (but the old CD Player) were already dusted. When he realized that Crawford was looking into the room, he turned quickly to the Player, the song stopping in the mid sentence to be followed by the Stones. Paint it – Black, of course.

Crawford smiled.

"Shut that song up! It is not funny any more!" Nagi shouted from the bath. In the same moment, the song change again.

"Hey! I wanted to listen to it!"

Crawford turned into the hall, not bothering with the kitchen. When Farfarello was given a job, he usually did it to his satisfaction. As did Schuldig, but when cleaning was involved.

To drown the sounds of the argument, he turned on the hover, letting the future float along his inner eye while he was hovering. Usually, the two were getting along very well, but Nagi was of course still angry because he had forbidden him to contact Tot. When nothing dangerous would pass his eyes, he would not concentrate on it. Anyway, the most important visions always came by surprise and mostly (but not generally) while he was asleep. And he was mostly not worrying about how a situation would develop but about its end as worrying about the rest usually caused quite an unnecessary headache.

He turned out the hover and realized that he had left the cleaning cloth in the bath. Meanwhile, the music was still hammering from the living room but the fighting seemed to have stopped.

Farfarello seemed to be finished with the kitchen and had returned to the room he shared with Nagi, obviously to clean it, too. Schuldig was not in the living room but Crawford left the hover anyway. He didn't bother to check what was awaiting him in the bathroom which was certainly not a good idea for when he entered, he got covered by water. Automatically, he concentrated on the next position of the showerhead and caught it.

"Don't you think we got wet enough yesterday?", asked he irately, shutting down the shower. Certainly, Nagi hadn't left much dust; the whole bath was streaming with water.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you would come in!"

Crawford reached for the cleaning cloth, wringing the water from it. "Even so, this is certainly not the way to clean a bath! I expect it to be dry when I return!"

The tone was such that Nagi didn't even dared to ask when that would be.

Crawford turned around to leave the room. He composed himself to a look which pierced the boy instead of explaining how childish he had managed to behave again. "Where's Schuldig?"

"I don't know. – Really! I'm sorry, Crawford-san!"

"You'd better be."

He closed the door behind him and went to his own room to change. There he found Schuldig lying on the other bed.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for the hover." Schuldig sat up and studied his wet shirt, a grin widening on his face. "Nagi?"

"Did you tell him?" Dangerous tone, dangerous question, never to be answered with a 'yes' if you wanted to survive the next few minutes; the light was reflecting on the glasses.

"I told him, it wasn't such a good idea."

Crawford studied him for a moment while unbuttoning his shirt. "The hover is in the living room." Or: get lost.

"You know what?"

A sigh.

"I'll sleep here today night."

"Ask Farfarello to carry the bed into the living room."

Schuldig raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Don't you love to have TV on your room?"

"It is not my fault that this house is so small! You could have rented a bigger one."

"Sure. And paid it with hot air? Eszett would have notice at once if such sums had disappeared from our account. – Get hovering." Turning to the wardrobe to look for a dry shirt. The discussion was over.

"Soon. – Where will we go to, Crawford?"

Crawford felt Schuldig feeling around his mind from the outside. It was a pleasant feeling most people gave way to without even realising it. He turned around, vexed. "I told you before to keep away from my head!" Turning back and taking a shirt from the cupboard. "The two of us are going to go to our apartment after everybody has finished. I am going to tell you on our way to it."

"Can't you now?"

"I saw that I'll tell you then. Satisfied?" He hadn't but he knew he would have had if he had concentrated on it. Because he had made this decision when Schuldig had asked him and decided that he would not give in to Schuldig's begging (as usual) but give him that answer. Future was a circle to the present.

Schuldig wasn't satisfied, but nodded and got up. "If you saw so…"

"If you go back to the living room, please turn the volume down. I don't want the neighbours on our doorstep."

Schuldig hesitated in the doorway, his face becoming concentrated for a second. Then a grin. "Don't worry, they don't care… would you like to know why?… Or what they are doing?"

"Spare me." So Schuldig had been manipulating around again. No wonder he was in such a good mood!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:Kreuzfahrtschiffe und Priester

"Let's go."

Schuldig nodded and gave the control to Nagi. It was afternoon and Crawford had entered the living room where Nagi und Schuldig were watching TV. Farfarello was slowly cutting the plants which had until then lived in the room.

"Where are you going?" the boy asked.

Schuldig exchanged a look with Crawford. "To our flat."

"May I come?"

Crawford shook his head. "I need you to take care of Farfarello and stop him to take a knife in about twenty minutes. It might be best to hide them."

Nagi pulled a face, but suddenly it came to his mind that he could phone Tot while the two were gone… Schuldig wouldn't enter into that part of his head anyway as he didn't like Tots behaviour and Crawford… if Crawford hadn't warned him yet, he certainly didn't know.

"Could you please fetch…"

"Don't bother to say; I already know." He glanced at Schuldig, who nodded and followed.

"Are we going to take the car?"

Crawford nodded.

"I'll drive, then."

"Don't speed."

"I won't, you know that", Schuldig grinned when they left the flat.

"That is why I am telling you. The car is stolen." He opened the door to it and sat down on the front passenger's seat.

Schuldig grinned and started the car, slamming the door. "Fun wouldn't be too bad for you, you know, Crawford."

No answer.

"So, where are we going to?"

"The States."

"The States? Las Vegas, I hope?"

"Maybe."

Schuldig was delighted. "Cool! I always wanted to play poker!"

"And I am sure, you will win."

Schuldig grinned. "Exactly!"

"I am planning to cross the States before going to Europe. We will use the journey to vanish. – Drive slower. There is a police car waiting at the next crossing."

Schuldig did as he was told although he would have liked to deal with an officer. Nothing as good as playing around with other peoples minds. Screwing them up. He grinned. The States would be fun.

"I know how we will get there. Will I tell you?"

Crawford shrugged. "I am all ears."

Schuldig left the highway. "Nar, I think, I will surprise you."

Crawford laughed. "Just try."

The police car passed without anything happening.

"You know, on our way back, we could stop at a bar."

Crawford sneered.

"Farfarello would have agreed."

"I don't even want to know what kind of bars Farfarello likes to visit."

"You are a bore, Brad. Why don't you do something crazy once in your life?" The car stopped in a parking lot.

"I founded Schwarz, didn't I?" He stepped from the car.

"You only did that because you knew you would." Schuldig left the car, too, and closed the door behind him.

"What's the difference?"

"Do something you don't see!"

Crawford sneered and opened the door to the flat. "That is completely contradictious."

"Then just do something you would never do!"

"I don't see that."

Schuldig sighed and closed the door behind them. "You know, Brad, one has to feel that one is alive. Otherwise it's not worth it."

"It is Crawford. - There is more than one way. You of all should now, Schuldig." He left into his study.

Schuldig shrugged and went to his room. It was in vain to talk to Crawford about this topic. Crawford was as stiff and perfect as his suit. He would never do something unexpected. He would never in life do anything crazier than by mistake misbuttoning his shirt and even that was unlikely. Probably that was why he liked him. He himself was spinning around like a pinball, always looking for fun and Crawford… he was always calm. Sometimes… okay, very often, angry at what he did and still as cold as ice, so cold that Schuldig sometimes wondered whether there was something alive inside him. But then again… Crawford had saved his live yesterday, nearly drowning himself if he believed Farfarello. For his part, he would call Crawford his friend, but wasn't sure whether he felt the same way… still, he had never allowed anyone else to call him Brad. On the other hand, he hadn't allowed Schuldig but just didn't always correct him and hadn't killed him for using the name. He certainly knew that Schuldig was only using it to tease him.

Slowly, he put several things into his bag. Some CDs, some films, his box with all the things that were important to him and some clothes. When he left the room, Crawford had already put his things outside the room. A case, perfectly closed and placed as if it belonged where it stood. Surely he was at Nagi's packing the boy's things.

"What does Farfarello wants us to take with us?"

Crawford looked up from Nagi's computer which he was packing into a box. "The usual. His daggers. I doubt, you will find much more in his room. And hurry. In about twenty minutes, the police will be here and I want you to eradicate our presents."

Schuldig nodded. He was to build a barrier that the policemen would think nothing was taken and no one had been here since yesterday. It wouldn't be easy. They might have been there just too long to do it. In addition, he hated this kind of work as it would leave him sick for the rest of the day. The more they disturbed, the longer he would stay sick. Why couldn't have Crawford told him before?!

Crawford was soon finish with Nagi's stuff which made the biggest part as it didn't only involve Nagi's computer but also, as Schuldig suspected, several school things. Nagi surely wouldn't like that. Farfarello's possessions weren't more than just some clothes and his daggers together with some things which he most certainly used in his obsession against god. He certainly possessed the less of all of them.

Crawford was waiting calmly in the hall when Schuldig returned with Farfarello's bag, reading in a book.

"Take Nagi's bag and leave Farfarello's to me. Mind the step."

Schuldig cursed for he indeed nearly fell over it. When he reached the car, Crawford was already lifting his and Farfarello's bag into the back. Even though he seemed to have some difficulties with his own. Who knew what he was taking with him again! Maybe every book that was to be found in their house. He closed the boot after Schuldig had put the things into it.

"I will wait at the door", he stated.

"Shall I start the car for you?"

A piercing look. "Just give me the keys."

Schuldig grinned, bending into the car. "I'm sorry, Brad, but I think we stole that car."

His face didn't change even thought Schuldig was quite sure that he detected a trace of red on his ears. "I will manage."

"Sure." Schuldig turned to car on, grinning. He had once again managed to catch Crawford off guard, really off guard so that he had been able to indeed fool with him completely… he must have been totally absorbed in the future and he certainly didn't like it. But before he could reply, Schuldig had turned around and went back to the flat. The process itself was theoretically very simple; he had to implant the illusion into something everyone would look at and thus catch it. The procedure itself was a bit more difficult for first you had to find theses objects and then you had to plant the illusion. Crawford could have certainly told him at once which were the most likely objects the policemen would look at, but Schuldig had to look around for a second before he decided on the mirror… it would be the first thing he would look at when he entered a house. He set his mind free, feeling it racing through the house and cleaning it of his and Crawford's presents which wasn't easy in the first place. But to plant this into a mirror, not to mention the wall of the hall was even more difficult and it didn't help that he knew he hadn't had all the time that was necessary nor that he still felt the exhaustion of the day before burning in his body.

He already heard the police signals when he left the apartment, feeling dizzy and very sick, close to falling asleep. The car was indeed standing in front of the door with running engine which was luck for him for he would certainly have not managed to walk to where they had parked.

Crawford pushed the door open so that Schuldig could fall onto the seat. Even before he could close the door, Crawford accelerated the car which caused the door to slam close by itself.

"Are you okay?"

Schuldig shook his head. The car entered the street, turning into another street a second later and met the first police car. If they had been one second late, the drivers would have seen them coming from the parking lot which belonged to their apartment. Certainly, then at least one of the policemen would have remembered that a red haired guy had been sitting to what was maybe a European driver with glasses.

Crawford didn't seem to care but brought the car quickly onto the highway.

"If you fell better, you'll depose this car. Take Farfarello with you."

Schuldig only half nodded. He felt his consciousness fainting and didn't fight it. It was far better than throwing up.

It was getting dark outside – or maybe even dawning again – when Schuldig woke next. His sickness, thank god, had disappeared and he was lying quite comfortable on a bed. His mind automatically scanned the environment and found a closed mind in the same room, someone very crossed that the telephone had not been working and someone even more crossed with god. So, it wasn't very difficult to guess who those people were. He heard paper moving and slowly sat up. Crawford was sitting with his back to him at the desk working under the light of a small lamp while more light spread through the room. So, it was in the morning. The bed next to him had been used, he could still fell the presents of dreams in it but not which dreams. It was already made.

"'N Morgen", he groaned.

Crawford didn't looked up. "Konnichi wa." He sounded surprisingly hoarse and not at all concentrated on what he had said. The last part was not really surprising as this usually happened when one tried to encounter Crawford while he was working; he usually got totally absorbed in what he was doing and Schuldig doubt that even the explosion of the building he was working in would arise him from it if he hadn't had a vision before that it would kill him. But he didn't really care and got up. Obviously, it was indeed early in the morning. For one, it got lighter outside and secondly, Nagi was sending dreams through the apartment. He wasn't sleeping well (dreaming about hundreds of telephones that didn't work and thus prevented him from phoning Tot). Or was it him who hadn't slept well? He couldn't really tell. Farfarello, at least, was also still sleeping, but not dreaming.

Schuldig realized that he was still clothed but his jacket and shoes which were standing neatly next to his bed. Too neat to have done it himself.

"Have you already had breakfast?" Schuldig asked, tying his shoes.

A short break, Crawford gazing hat him without seeing him. He needed some time to consider the question. "No." Turning back to his work.

Schuldig sighed and got up. It was unlikely that Crawford would pay any attention to him now. So he went to his friend and put his hand onto his shoulder which made him spin around.

"What?!"

"I am going to the kitchen now."

Crawford nodded, realizing that the peace he had been working in was over. "I'm coming."

Schuldig let him go and turned around to leave the room. Crawford had been working on several documents and something that looked suspiciously as if he was falsifying some papers while at the same time his notebook was humming.

So, he remembered, he would have to get rid of the car… the best way was, of course, to burn it and Tokyo had certain parts where you could burn a car easily without being noticed even in broad daylight. So that wouldn't be the problem. He just turned to the kitchen when he heard a thud from their room. Turning around, surprised, he found Crawford on the floor.

"I tripped", explained he, putting his glasses back on. Schuldig stepped towards him to help him up, even more surprised. It turned into being astonished when Crawford was close to being unable to get up again. He refused his hand and Schuldig knew better than to help him although. It took Crawford quite a while to get to his bed and sit down.

"You'd better also take care of our voyage to the States. Discreetly, please."

"The journey or organizing it?" Schuldig knew that this was certainly the wrong moment to joke but Crawford's comment had been far too tempting.

An icy look met his. "Both. Make sure, we have matching passport… No. We use our spare ones." He started loosing his tie.

"Which ones?"

He started unbuttoning his shirt. "The ones you had made in Germany."

Schuldig grinned. They hadn't used them yet. "Yes, father. I bet, Farfarello will like that!"

Crawford's glasses glittered. "Don't get any funny ideas. And you'd better start learning Latin. Or at least the Lord's prayer in German."

"Vater unser, der du bist im Himmel, geheiligt werde… Easy. But you knowing Latin will be enough."

"I am serious. – and you might start learning English. It will be of some help in the States."

Schuldig nodded, grinning. Crawford knew this wasn't the best sign but decided not to comment. He felt too wasted anyway. He should have rested the day before; his body was now paying back twice.

Schuldig left the room, grinning to himself. That would be fun! Being a priest! Crawford had nearly killed him, when he had showed him those passports. He had even made him pay for the new ones, but Schuldig hadn't minded; it had been worth the look on Crawford's face.

Farfarello was already in the kitchen.

"Morgen!", Schuldig greeted him cheerfully. "What about you and me going out to get us a passage to the States this morning?"

Farfarello didn't look too pleased.

"We'll also have to get rid of the car."

Farfarello's face lit up. "Wouldn't Crawford want to take care of the passage?"

"He's ill. – is Nagi still sleeping?"

A nod. "He tried to phone Tot yesterday."

Schuldig grinned. "Crawford's not going to like that!"

Farfarello shrugged. "What do I care?"

"You are going to be his guardian!"

He loved the look on Farfarello's face. The plate in his hand crashed onto the floor. Getting any other emotion than just the wish to kill out of Farfarello was even more difficult than to blow Crawford's cool. But he had managed once again. He was brilliant!

It was late in the evening, when Schuldig and Farfarello returned, both of them in a very good mood. Schuldig, because he had been able to screw the head of someone who had wanted to rob and blackmail them when they got rid of the car and Farfarello because he had been able to screw the head off. Not a pretty picture. Schuldig was even more looking forward to what Crawford would say to their passage, for it wasn't a flight, really. And to the fact that Nagi was obviously also ill. Maybe he was lucky and Crawford didn't already know. One could never say which details of the future he cared to know.

So, by no means trying to be quiet, he entered their room to find Crawford fest asleep which indeed vexed him quite a lot. He had never indeed met Crawford asleep but maybe once or twice in front of a monitor, for he was usually the last of them to go to bed and the first to rise. Schuldig wasn't sure how Crawford would react to being woken but didn't try it out. He didn't wanted him to kill him which would certainly would happen if he told him about their passage afterwards.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:Find Schwarz!

"You didn't learn Latin", Crawford remarked the day of the departure of. Indeed, he had been in a very ill humour after Schuldig had told him about the passage.

Nagi was furious. Furious with Crawford and even more furious with Schuldig and Farfarello. With Schuldig, because he had booked a ship's passage and with Farfarello because he was to act as his father – the last person whom he wanted to be his father! In addition it would take them for ever to get to the States… a time he would have to spent with Farfarello in a room and no Crawford around to tell him to stop his obscure rites and hurting himself… no Schuldig, to put him into his jacket. Secondly, he was even more furious that no one had told him that they were to leave so soon, no one had told him anything at all, so that he would not have even the slightest chance to contact Tot. That had certainly been Crawford's idea but still, Schuldig had been the one who had come smirking into his room this morning, ordering him to get dressed and leave. He could have killed Crawford for it and he could have killed both Schuldig and Farfarello. He had never before been so angry in his life and thus hadn't talked a word to anyone. The only thing that made him less pissed with Crawford was that he had been ill, too and had chewed Schuldig out for the crossing.

Still, the telepath was in a very good mood this morning. They were about to leave the apartment, first Farfarello and him and later Schuldig and Crawford. At the moment they were still having breakfast.

Schuldig grinned at Crawford who was still looking ill. "Forgive me, father."

"Don't worry, Schuldig. The solution is easy: You will have sworn to be silent to honour god." He grinned. "And I will make sure, you really will stay silent."

Nagi was delighted. That was about the worst thing to happen to Schuldig who normally couldn't shut up for about ten minutes in a row. Indeed, he did look very vexed, as if he would have liked to kill Crawford for it.

So, to put it short, everybody was equally pissed with the others. There had never been a worse atmosphere at their breakfast table. Nagi knew, this would pass, at least between Schuldig and Crawford who were quite often quarrelling but in the end or after two or three days at the most maybe not really forgave each other but decided that they had been angry long enough. Indeed, even though it never seemed so, they both truly liked each other.

And even though Nagi was very much in favour of Schwarz, he swore that he would not forgive anyone of them preventing him from seeing Tot again.

"You are a bastard, Crawford", Schuldig announced.

"You needed until now to figure that out? I have never thought you so quick." Bored. He was not about to let himself get engaged in a fight and took a look at his watch. "You should leave. Nagi, take care of Farfarello. Farfarello, please be so kind not to show anyone your fresh wounds. I don't want to have to deal with the youth welfare office." Nagi got up and Farfarello did, too. Farfarello was also cross, as taking care of a child, not hurting other people, not even showing them his wounds, not scaring and not killing anybody were things that cheered god up. And it seemed to Farfarello that nearly everything on this journey would cheer god up… thus in his eyes reason enough to be very cross with the world.

In silence, both Farfarello and Nagi left the room, none with a friendly glance towards the other. Nor were the glances Schuldig and Crawford exchanged very friendly. Crawford was watching the two leaving, maybe wondering whether this had been one of his not quite so brilliant ideas.

Farfarello did still look weird, but not as weird as usually. You still didn't want to meet him in a dark alley at night but at least he looked rather like someone who had acquired his wounds on a battlefield than because he was on a private war with god. Indeed, with the glass eye he looked even a bit respectable. If only he would behave in such a way! Nagi, angry anyway, hadn't taken care to dress carefully this morning, wearing something that had to be close to his worse clothes and thus quite fitted his father. The one good thing about Farfarello was that he really didn't look his age. Indeed, he didn't look like any age at all. While it was sometimes even for Crawford hard to pass as Nagis guardian not to mention his father, Farfarello would never be questioned. Or if he would, Crawford feared, that was the last question that person posed.

Schuldig observed the look on Crawford's face but it didn't get him into a better mood.

But when they were on their way to the quay, Schuldig had already cheered up again which was, facing what Crawford had done to him, very quick.

"You know, Crawf, I have a solution."

No answer. Crawford was concentrating on the traffic. Schuldig carefully forced his way into that level in Crawford's head beyond which he was barely able to descend. It wasn't really inside the head, only some outer sphere, just before one entered the head, but on this level he could make people hear his voice without speaking: _I will be as silent as you told me to be. But only on the outside._

"Get out of my head."

_I am not inside your head, technically, that is the beauty of it._

"Then I wonder that I do hear you."

_I can't read you thoughts._

_I would know if you could._

_That I did read._

_Because I let you._

_Should I be thankful?_

_Be thankful that I am driving. Now, be quiet._

_I am quiet._

_Not quite._ He stopped the car in a parking lot not far away from the quay where they redressed and, carrying their suitcases, went to the check in.

"Good morning, father", the attendant greeted Crawford in English as he handed in their tickets. He wasn't carrying his glasses, which he hated as he wasn't wearing his glasses for nothing and his hair was smoothed back which he didn't like too much either.

"Good morning." Horrible German accent. Schuldig wondered how he was doing it; even his English wasn't that bad. "This is brother Tobias." (sis is brrrraser Tobias) Handing over Schuldig's passport. Schuldig nodded at the attendant who was quite attractive. But he supposed that flirting while being a priest and under an oath of silence and without his red hair visible wasn't quite the thing. Also, he wasn't really sure that he wanted to find out what Crawford would do if he tried. So, he just nodded to the girl with a smile.

The girl looked at their tickets. "The steward will show you your rooms. Have a pleasant journey, Mr Sawatski and Mr Friedrichs."

"Thank you, Madame. May god be with you."

You sound silly.

No answer, not even a look, just as if he hadn't heard him. Schuldig sighed inwardly. He wasn't sure Crawford couldn't lock him out completely.

_You know, that girl was quite hot. _

_You wanted to be the priest, not I. And don't get any funny ideas._

_I wasn't thinking about me._

Crawford gave him a piercing look. They were following the steward to the room they had rented. It was below the waterline and not very big but comfortable. As he knew Crawford, they would spent most of the time in here so that they were not seen by too may people.

As soon as the steward had left, Crawford went to the bath to redress and put on his glasses again.

Schuldig sat down on the bed – the one he decided to take over – and unpacked his CD-Player, which he placed on the bed. The ship was due to leave in about forty minutes so that it was not much use to scan the rooms around them for the other passengers; most of them would be on deck to watch the departure. He didn't want to look for Farfarello and Nagi yet. By luck the assistant where they had bought the tickets had given Farfarello the room next to them. That was, not quite by luck… people's minds tasted like honey and once again Schuldig hadn't been able to resist. At least, by this means he would be able to communicate with them. Even though he doubt Nagi wouldn't try everything to amuse himself. Which certainly didn't meant spending the whole time in the room next door.

Crawford returned from the bath, once again dressed in a suit, just correcting his glasses. He gave the CD-Player a doubtful look.

Do you really think that this is the right kind of music for a priest?

_Why not?_

Crawford didn't bother to answer but reached into his suitcase and threw a pair of earphones at him. '_Will reißen, will beißen, zerfleischen, zerfetzen'? Ich bitte dich. __(I want to slit, want to bite, rip apart, tear apart? – Please.)_

Schuldig caught the earphones._Versteht hier doch eh keiner. __(Nobody understands it, anyway.)_

_I wouldn't be too sure about that. Besides, I would like to work._ Getting his notebook from his case.

Work?! Crawford, how many hours do you lie awake at night to make up your work for the next day?

_Believe me, Schuldig, there is enough to do._

Schuldig rolled onto his stomach while Crawford sat down in front of the monitor. He did put his earpieces into the CD-Player and listened for a while. But after about half an hour that got boring, too._ What are you doing?_

No answer.

_Crawford…_

Still no answer; the hacking continued.

_Brad!_

Crawford continued ignoring him, now reading something. Schuldig listened for further five minutes to his music while watching his friend or staring holes into the ceiling, wondering how long it would take him until a real hole appeared there. Surely he would manage before they would reach the destination of the crossing from where they would take a plane to the States. Maybe he would have died of boredom until then.

_Crawford… do you have anything to do for me?_

No answer.

_Brad, verdammt noch mal! __What are you doing?_

Continued reading of a document.

_I am going to watch our departure._

_Brilliant idea. You don't need to hurry up to return. As long as you behave as a priest._

Schuldig got up, satisfied with his idea. He made sure his hair was piously hidden, studied himself in the mirror, approved what he saw and turned to the door._ Have fun!_

Again no answer.

_Should I bring something with me?_

_Something that'll knock you out for the rest of the journey, perhaps. But I don't see that._

Schuldig grinned._ I'll find something for you._ He shut the door behind him, walking down the corridor, humming. The machines of the ship were already running and by the sound of them, they were indeed leaving the quay. Still, Schuldig didn't hurry up. He had no hurry to return to their room and thus strolled down the corridor, thinking about nothing in particular.

They had already left the harbour when Schuldig arrived upstairs. He went to the stern of the ship, watching Tokyo disappear in its own mist. He was not quite sure whether he felt sorry for it… he had left so many places in his life, so many in a hurry, that he had never really had the time to feel sorry about them. He shrugged. He didn't care, really. Maybe they would even return. It was just a place. The next they would go to would be as good as this one.

The crowd, which had watched their departure, had mostly left and Schuldig studied the people around him. Not like a normal person would study someone but also scanning through the thoughts they were having at this moment. Probably that was why he had had these sentimental thoughts about Tokyo; those who were still looking were either very sorry or very thankful. Schuldig decided to leave. He was in no mood to get sentimental about anything. Thus, he chose discover the ship. He started with the upper deck where the deckchairs were standing, some already occupied by people roasting in the sun. Stewards were already serving drinks and Schuldig had to smile at the thoughts that were crossing the people's minds around here (_I hope, I will get very brown on this journey! - Maybe, if I am really nice to these girls, I'll get a good tip… or even laid. - Damn, why do the heros always have to be so stupid? - Hopefully, I won't catch a sunburn! – A priest. What is he doing here? When was the last time I confessed, anyway? - Gosh, that girl is hot_!).

"Good afternoon, father."

Schuldig nodded at her with a smile only with difficulties hiding a broad grin. This girl was at least the tenth one who greeted him friendly. Normally, people never greeted him friendly. They either feared or hated him. Sometimes, they didn't care for him and apart of Nagi and Farfarello, he never caught a nice thought concerning himself (Crawford didn't count as he usually didn't receive any thought at all from him). Thus, he quite enjoyed walking alone the deck in the sun while the water was foaming underneath him. Some children were already playing in the pool on the upper deck.

It took him quite a while to parade through the whole upper deck of the ship and when he reached the point where he had started (the sundecks where the thoughts hadn't changed too much since), he was hungry enough to go into one of the small restaurants and eat something. Which turned out to be quite fun for it meant that he could toy around with the waiter's mind, act as his consciences and thus persuaded him into the thought that the red haired priest in front was the nicest he had ever seen at not at all unfriendly even though he was just pointing at the menu (it was perfectly clear what he meant!) without saying a word. Maybe Crawford's idea of not saying anything would turn out to be fun.

Quite in a good mood and about an hour after he had been served dinner, he was walking back to their room, bowing to the friendly people who greeted him, for the first time in years satisfied with the people even though he knew that their friendliness was just fake. Still, he was determined to tell Crawford and if only to vex him. It was already darkening when he went down the stairs to their room, in a very good mood, as he had also decided to pay Nagi and Farfarello at least a mental visit.

But this was the first time he saw the man. At first, he only caught the frame of him and wondered how it could be that Crawford had left the room, too. Which would have been very strange, indeed. In the second moment he realized that the man in front of him couldn't be Crawford as he would never be as careless to leave their room not dressed as a priest, even if he wore something he would never wear if he wasn't force to; a jogging suit (and even with a gun pointed at him, Schuldig doubt that Crawford would wear such a shabby one). In the third moment it became apparent that Schuldig had no difficulties to enter the man's mind. Indeed, that thought whether he should hurry to his cabin to check out the TV-program had not originated from his own brain but from the one of the man in front of him. He didn't even have the style of thinking Crawford had – or had had before he had worked out how to close his mind to Schuldig.

Schuldig grinned to himself. He would fool around a bit with that man, amuse himself a bit. Was he alone? No, he was going with a friend, but… uh. Just left by his girlfriend. That would really be fun! And broke! Things were getting better and better! Just on this journey because of a job. Cabin No 506… a bit better than theirs. Not bad for a broken man. Well, that would really be fun! Schuldig speeded up but realized in the same moment that he was not to say a word. It would certainly not be as much fun to toy with the man when he was to talk only via paper. If he just didn't obey… no, that wouldn't do. Schuldig decided, it was better to retreat and wanted to turn his mind away from the man when suddenly something happened which he had never felt before. He wasn't able to let go. Just as if the man was holding him inside his head… turning the flow of thoughts into the opposite direction, to Schuldig's head. Schuldig felt panic rushing through his brain. That wasn't possible! He wasn't supposed to stay in the head of the other if he didn't wanted to. And he felt how his control of the mind was pushed away, the consciousness of the other coming closer and closer to his own – to read his thoughts! He tried to pull himself away but couldn't. It was as if his bridge was tied to the other man, a bridge he couldn't brake. He race across the brain of the other, looking franticly for the usual door of escape while he felt the other coming closer and closer. He didn't know what was going to happen when the other would have reached him but he didn't want to find out – no one was supposed to read his thoughts! And the mind of the other was already licking around his mind. He felt the pressure he usually build up to enter other person's mind and felt panic for he knew only one person who had managed so far to keep him away and he had no idea how Crawford did it. He had to find the exit before his barrier would brake! Jumping over the memories of the man's assignment, he darted franticly through his head, feeling the pressure in his own rising to an unbearable force, the mind of the man already licking into it. His thoughts only race around the escape, trying to force a door open, but couldn't. He felt his barrier braking. Slowly collapsing, brig by brig.

Suddenly, the door was just in front of him. The wall to his mind crumbled. He jumped over the one who had given the assignment and stumble over the words of it taking them with him as he fell towards the door. In the same moment, his barrier collapsed. He jetted through the door but for the lightning of a second they shared a common thought as the man broke into his own brain and he broke out of his, forcing the man out of his mind in the same instance. It was merely a word or two, but with such an impact that Schuldig nearly fell back into the others brain:

Find Schwarz.

But then he was back in his brain, had closed the door behind him, the thought had disappeared but the feeling that it somehow had been vital.

The man stopped dead on the floor and spun around, nearly in the same second. Schuldig, panting and sweating, saw him start his movement and knew, he couldn't allow him to see him. As fast as he could, he dived behind the icebox, which was standing on the opposite side of the corridor. Even before he hit the floor, the man was scanning the room with his eyes. Schuldig was sure, he wasn't able to see him, but still his heart was racing. The man was European, indeed bearing a certain similarity with Crawford. Not as much as his back and not as much as to mistake one for the other. But Schuldig didn't care about it too much. For a horrible moment, it seemed as if the man was going to walk down the corridor, but then he turned around and left.

"Oh, father. Did you fall? May I help you? I hope you aren't hurt!"

Schuldig drove around. A woman was standing in front of him. Normally, Schuldig would have studied her and used this situation fully to his advantage but at the moment he was far too occupied with what hat just happened. So he shook his head any slowly got up. The panic was still deep in his bones. What had happened? Who was that man? Why hadn't he been able to leave his mind when he wanted to and how could it have happened that the man had been able to turn the flow of thoughts around? How was that possible?

His heart was still hammering when he entered their room where Crawford was still sitting at his computer, working obviously. For a moment Schuldig considered to tell him but then refrained. Crawford had always warned him that bees were buzzing around the honey which he suck from the minds of others. He wasn't quite as desperate as to give him the triumph of being right.

Crawford didn't even look up when Schuldig closed the door behind him and Schuldig was happy he didn't. The clock at the wall showed that it was about ten o'clock and he decided to go to bed. He sat down on his bed, thinking. How could that had happened? Had he done something wrong?… was he maybe to encounter this phenomenon from now on whenever he tried to enter another person's mind? Unthinkable!

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, staring into nothing and thinking when he suddenly realized that Crawford was looking at him, rather annoyed. _Would you please stop leaving fragments of your thoughts spinning around the room? _

Schuldig was surprised. He hadn't realized he what he was doing. He hadn't even realized penetrating Crawford's mind… but then again, some people had such loose mind boundaries that he caught their thoughts even if he didn't wanted to. And if Crawford left some part of his mind open for communication... But it seemed as if it really just had been small fragments. Otherwise Crawford would have most certainly taken them up. So, he just nodded and turned to his bed. For a moment, he considered whether he should pay Nagi and Farfarello a visit. If his talent were really screwed up, it would not do as much damage to get stuck in one of their heads as it might if someone from the outside entered his brain. Even though, he really didn't like the thought that one of the two might know what he was thinking. In the end, he chose Farfarello. He wouldn't be quite as bad as Nagi. Normally, he tried to stay way from their thoughts. He wasn't quite sure, why. Maybe it was only because at least Nagi was somehow getting immune to him; if he forced himself really hard and if he really didn't want him to read what he was thinking, Nagi did usually succeed. Farfarello, he knew, didn't care at all.

So, slowly, he started scanning the thoughts in the room next to them; both of them were in the reach of his power. Farfarello was obviously sitting on the floor and playing with his daggers. It was easy to enter his mind and as easy as usually to get out of it again. The thoughts were the same as usual; Farfarello hated god and was thinking about how to take the best revenge, a plan he was plotting for very long now. So, Schuldig turned towards Nagi. A cloud of bad mood surrounded the boy and Schuldig was surprised to find out how angry the boy was. In the moment, he was actually sitting at his computer and typing a letter to Tot, bitterly complaining and announcing to leave Schwarz as soon as possible and return to her. Crawford surely wouldn't like that! But Schuldig felt confident enough again to scan the other rooms around them. None of the persons present gave him any difficulties. So, had it just been a moment of weakness or was it that man? Schuldig didn't know. He just knew that he never wanted to feel this again.

His evening visit to Nagi and Farfarello – now talking to them – wasn't of much use. Even though he tried to force Nagi to answers, Nagi didn't reacted. He was far too miffed to talk to anyone. Farfarello told him that they had had quite a good day and that he had just started watching a horror film, which he, Schuldig, really should watch, too. He had made a strange observation during dinner with Nagi; when he had cut himself on a glass that a guest next to him had dropped, it had indeed hurt and took until they had reached their cabin to stop bleeding. He was quite in an ecstasy about it and Schuldig didn't care a damn. In addition, he really wasn't interested in the horror film, after Farfarello told him how it was to end; of course, he had already watched it. Besides, he wasn't in a mood for horror after he had met this passenger this evening.

Thus, saying good night to Farfarello, making sure, Nagi would also hear, he stood up to get to bed.

_Nagi's still miffed_, he informed Crawford, returning from the bath.

_Did everything work out?_

Schuldig shrugged. Crawford hadn't even turned from the monitor._ Nobody suspected Farfarello to be insane so far. _

With these words he had lost Crawford's attention again. He didn't get it again for the rest of the evening nor did he try to. Going to bed very early, he didn't sleep away much of the morning, but when he woke, Crawford was already back at his computer, typing. He remembered dreaming something rather strange, something important, but pushed it away. It was as well possible that someone next door had dreamt it or that someone passing had been thinking about something that was vital to him but to for Schuldig. In addition, he had forgotten that he had had the feeling of sharing two very important words with the man.

After breakfast, Crawford told him to watch out for someone who might be looking for them or suspecting anything and Schuldig was very happy with this job; he took a German book with him, even though he didn't plan to read it and set out on his mission. Occupying a deck chair near the pool and the bars where most people were either lying in the sun or enjoying themselves otherwise, he could scan them easily. After a long sleep, he was confident again of his talent, so confident that he even persuaded two or three good-looking girls to lie down next to him. Still, he did keep to not talking, even though it was very difficult at some times.

Now and then, he turned some thoughts in someone's head over again, forcing them to foolish actions or foolish thoughts. His tactic was easy; he just tried out whether there was any memory linked to the word 'Schwarz' in the person's brain. As he hadn't met any German so far, it was very unlikely that someone should know this word who hadn't heard about them. Still, it was surprising how many people had at least a little knowledge of German. Schuldig amused himself for a while by teaching them one or two swearing words and spent a very good day. Even though the guy with whom he had had the trouble the other night (coming unto the sun deck several minutes after Nagi appeared to go swimming), he was in very high spirits that evening. Though, he didn't dared to enter the man's mind once again. But why should he? He had been storming through his entire memory the day before without even seeing something that was close to Schwarz. As far as he remembered, that was.

The next day passed equally delighting and there were still a lot of passengers left on the day after that, not really to check out but to screw up. He had met two girls with whom he had started a conversation via paper. He might be a priest but that shouldn't prevent him from flirting. They were not the only persons he met more than once. The waiter he had toyed with the first night was eager to serve him dinner and it seemed as if he had managed to create not a single enemy on this ship even though he had already spent several days on it and even though he had fun with playing jokes on people's mind. The only person he didn't like was of course the man from room 506, but he doubted that this was mutual. Even though he met him from time to time, the man seemed by no means interested in him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:Eszetts Agent

The funny part of the journey ended when Schuldig was walking over the deck with Crawford on their forth day who was just talking to him about their further journey (the imaginary one as priests). They had had lunch about half an hour ago and were on their way back to their room after they had taken a walk around the ship.

Crawford took out the key to open the door to their room but then suddenly hesitated. His face grew alarmed, then becalmed as he was concentrating on the future. Schuldig couldn't detect whatever he had seen from the outside, but it was certainly not very pleasant. Crawford pushed the door open as quickly as he could, seizing Schuldig's jacket.

"Get in!"

Schuldig didn't hesitate a second but passed Crawford as quickly as he could.

"Nagi's going to come down this corridor in two seconds. Tell him, not to enter this room! Under no circumstances!"

Schuldig nodded, not sure what was so terrible about it apart from the fact that Nagi would disobey a direct order of Crawford's which was – unusual. He strained his mind and in the same moment caught Nagi's. He was running and, strangely, close to panic. – Even close to loosing his head. Schuldig had no time to be puzzled as he knew he would need every moment he had to force Nagi to run on. He caught the boy, shouting at him. But in the same moment, he felt that something else was wrong. The something, Nagi was running from. For a moment, it was as if something grasped him, then a moment of nothing, but slowly, Nagi's mind started to blur. His mind didn't stay with the boy as it should have. Slowly, but getting quicker with every moment it was drawn away from the boy while he was still shouting at him not to enter, dragged closer to who was slowly coming down the corridor after Nagi. The mind of this man was so easy to enter that the whole corridor, even though he had to be still about twenty metres from their room, was filled with his thought that he had to find out which room the boy who was running from him was entering. It was so easy to enter that Schuldig felt drawn into this head. He couldn't fight back, couldn't clench to Nagi and couldn't just retreat. Even Crawford's calmness wasn't giving any support. Schuldig felt himself panic and tried to free his mind. The man shot back into his consciousness and with it the common thought both of them had shared, which had originated from the man, exploding in its whole meaning in his brain. But even this didn't free him but on the opposite only drew him faster into the mind of the other. Suddenly, Nagi was gone and with him every thing that had stopped him from racing into the man's mind. The mind which already started intruding on his. It was as if his last support had fainted and he spun into the mind of the other who would find everything about Schwarz in his mind he would need to kill them easily. The wall to Schuldig's mind crumbled in an instant, leaving the man free access to his brain.

In the same moment, he received a well-aimed blow so that his consciousness flickered for the fraction of a second. When it returned, Crawford had caught him and in the same second, he found himself in a grey wide room. Everything was calm and empty around him and the pressure seizing him away was gone. The same second, the image was shattering again and they were back in the room inside the ship. Crawford was still holding him, but gently pushed him back to his feet as soon as he was sure that Schuldig was not going to faint again.

"Don't take it personal."

Schuldig felt his chin hurting and tasted blood. Crawford must have hit him and he hadn't been oversensitive with it.

"Find Schwarz", muttered Schuldig, his mind still buzzing. He slowly sat down on his bed which was closest. Crawford was still standing in front of him, as usual very focused and very concentrated, his eyes looking straight through Schuldig, before they focused on his eyes. His expression was anxious, so troubled that Schuldig knew he knew at least half of what was crossing through his head.

"Tell Nagi and Farfarello to come over in exactly ten minutes."

"Ten minutes from when?"

"The moment you tell them."

Schuldig nodded weakly. He was still not quite back in reality, even though his chin was hurting enough to ensure him that he was not dreaming. But what had just happened just couldn't be real! Carefully, he let his mind feeling its way around into the consciousness of the two persons in the next room and told them to come over in exactly ten minutes. Having said so, he quickly returned to his own head and went to the outer wall of the ship to be as far away as possible from the corridor so that his mind wouldn't catch the thoughts of anyone passing. …

Find Schwarz. These words had originated from the man's brain and he hadn't been thinking German nor had Schuldig any evidence that he knew any German. Moreover, the word had the Japanese pronunciation Shi-wa-ro-zu. Which meant only one thing: the man was looking for them. Eszett was looking for them and if this man had reported to them, they were very much in trouble. Or as good as dead.

Crawford had changed and was standing at the wall to the bath, the arms folded in front of his chest, his eyes closed and concentrating.

Schuldig knew it could have only been ten minutes, in which he had been sitting on the floor in facing Crawford who seemed totally calm but was most likely absorbed by the future, while he tried to calm down and tried to control his own mind. He had to learn to shut others out! Other people's mind were like honey that was true, but he certainly didn't want that to happen again. He needed to know where this room of total calmness could be found and obtain it for himself. A room where the thoughts of others couldn't penetrate his own.

Suddenly, Crawford opened his eyes and looked at him, deep brown eyes without any emotion. In the same moment, the door opened and Nagi and Farfarello entered, Nagi looking quite disturbed and Farfarello perturbed.

Silence, the door closing behind the two of them. Nagi looked around, as if he felt very unwell. His eyes ran around the room, to Schuldig, to Farfarello, over the furniture but to Crawford. Strangely, the silence was rather becalming than disturbing and at last, Nagi's eyes met with Crawford's. He knew that Crawford knew that he had wanted to flee into his and Schuldig's room (otherwise Schuldig wouldn't have urged him to run on), maybe – very certainly – blowing their cover with it. But he had panic.

"He… I was watching the kites of the children, you know, 'helping' them from time to time. Then, this man appeared next to me and at first, I thought, it was you, but then, he turned to me and told me that I would loose my power today… he even knew my name! And… and then I tried to lift kites but it didn't work… nothing works anymore…!" Nagi's eyes were fearful and his voice had trailed away even though he had tried to utter it in a firm tone.

"Who was he?" Crawford was now standing in front of the boy and Schuldig somehow felt sorry for Nagi who really seemed to be terrified.

"I don't know. – I think, I saw him the first day when Farfarello and I went to dinner. He was the one who dropped the glass...- Farfarello cut himself" His voice was shacking by now.

"It hurt", Farfarello uttered, while Crawford seemed to hesitate a moment, then put his hand onto the boy's shoulder, looking strait into his eyes with an uplifting smile. "You haven't lost your power." And, taking his hand away again, turned to Schuldig who was looking at him in amazement. "What do you know about him?"

"He lives with a friend in room 506, was just left by his girlfriend, is broke and on an assignment." He didn't continue for several seconds. The three others were looking at him. "I think, he is paid for looking for us." He hesitated another moment. "And he can hold me inside his head."

Crawford looked around, striking the hair from his face. Unusual and a sign that he was troubled indeed. "Obviously, he is able to block talents. That means he himself has some kind of talent. Which than again means that he most likely belongs to Eszett if he isn't even sent by them. Clearly, we have to get rid of him."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:Eine gefährliche Begabung

The clock had long since struck midnight, no passenger was on deck, not even anyone of the staff. It was as if the ship was void of life, not a noise to be heard but the humming of the machines. A cool wind was blowing, a gibbous moon enlightening the deck in an eering silence. Darkness edged from every corner and the stars were glowing cold and distant from the sky, reflected by the silent water of the pool which seemed like the entrance into another world from which evil demons might creep to suck life from innocent by passers. Even the air had a misty but not at all cold tone which still grasped one's heart and hold it tight in waiting silence.

The night was pitch black on the upper deck where Crawford was leaning to the railing with the back to the dark emptiness of the pool, his suit being most likely the brightest spot to be beheld on this deck. He hadn't bothered to change; there was no need to pull of a show. And, of course, he knew how this encounter was going to end. Thus, he hadn't bothered with its details. They would come to him in time. As usual.

Steps. Someone coming closer, nearly inaudible over the noise of the machines. Crawford waited several seconds longer until the steps came to a halt behind him.

"I knew you would come", he broke the silence, noiselessly stepping from the shadow he had waited in. He studied the man who was indeed about his own height, European, dark haired but not wearing glasses. His clothes looked a bit slothy. Keep him distracted, so that Schuldig could do his job properly. Then, there was still time enough to kill him.

The man smiled. "So you are Brad Crawford, the last Schwarz. I am Harold Berry. I have a deal for you worth considering."

Crawford's lips twisted. "Indeed?"

"As you have already realized, I am capable of yielding your talents which turns you into simple and, as one might observe, very ordinary people. You have too long relied on them to be able to survive without them. I could wipe Schwarz out in an instance merely by controlling your talents. So here's the deal: The boy is the one who is most interesting of you. If you hand him over, I will leave you alive."

"I will not."

"Pardon?"

"Leave you alive." He stepped towards the man who reached, quicker than it seemed possible, into his jacket and pulled out a pistol which he pointed at Crawford in the same second, the moon glittering behind him and the black darkness of the pool eering behind Crawford.

"You are nothing but a cheap murderer."

Something which could be described as a smile but far too nasty for it, twitched around Crawford's lips. "So, this is also personal. The better."

Berry pulled the trigger. "Go back to the hell you have crept from!"

Even before the fire flashed from the muzzle, Crawford's palm had knocked it from his hand so that it skidded over the deck. But even before his fist could hit Berry's chin, his left hand was protecting his face, the right hand shooting towards Crawford.

He didn't saw it coming. Indeed, he couldn't see anything, not a single flash of the future. The blow broke through his defence onto his sternum, leaving him to stumble two steps back. Something close to fright flashed through Crawford's head, empty of anything but the present. Never since his early childhood had he been in a situation in which he failed to know what would happen in the next second. It was as if he was suddenly surrounded by a dark cloak, heavy as if to stop him from breathing. There was only this moment, only the beat of his heart, the warm wind in his hair, he didn't even feel the next heartbeat coming. He had known that he would be exposed to this situation but not that it was so terrifying. How were other people able to survive who had to even be unsure about the next second?

He lifted his fists again, slowly, feeling his heart hammering with fright and deep insecurity. It felt as if his vision had fainted or rather been drawn away from the man in front of him. Maybe… maybe this Berry was right and he was really incapable of surviving without his talent – but the horrible thing was that he didn't know about it. That he couldn't set up his plans depending on the future. What if he had mistaken his vision? Berry bore indeed quite some likeliness with him. What if it wasn't him who would shove Berry's body over board but Berry his?

Berry watched him a second, than took a step forward.

Crawford backed of, protecting his body with his lifted fists and tried to force himself to calmness. He would just have to anticipate what might be the most likely thing to happen – what he usually did when his vision didn't show him everything.

Berry followed him, but this time, Crawford didn't back off. Berry's fist raced forward but Crawford, who saw the shoulder twisting and, as if he had seen his movement actually in the future, blocked it with easiness, much to his own surprise. He didn't need to see the future, the only thing he needed to do was to watch his opponent. Which he had actually done before but with the reassurance of knowing what he would have to do.

So, it was easy to dodge Berry's next to movements and Crawford started winning his confidence back. He waited for the right moment to place his own attack and then shot forward. His fist easily broke through Berry defence, but before it could hit his opponent and far too fast than possible if Berry had just been reacting to his movement, the other just blocked it right in front of his face.

But Crawford had no time to be startled as the next punch was coming right towards his face. He blocked it, but Berry just opened the hand and hit him with the left one which he hadn't seen coming. Pain exploded and for a moment he wasn't able to breath, stumbling back another step. He hadn't even had time to think just to concentrate on Berry next movement. He saw it coming, but again, this punch didn't strike him as if it was just to keep him busy shielding while another punch hit him right into his stomach. He gasped for air, struggling to keep up, but whatever he tried to protected himself from the punches, they always came from the direction he didn't expected them to come, always finding unprotected spots. He didn't even had time to grasp a thought, had no time to realize anything but the pain flashing through his body, the only thing he could do, was back away.

"How does it feel?", Berry waited for a second for Crawford to gasp for air. "Being exposed to your own talent?"

Crawford retreated another step, pain and panic hammering in his brain. His own talent? He forced himself to think despite of his mind blurring in panic and ache. He knew too well what he usually did to people with his talent. He knew, he would be incapable even to place a single blow, not to mention a significant one. He would even be powerless to defend himself, by the nature of his talent and by himself lacking it. Why hadn't he seen it? Why had he been so foolish just to rely on the imagination that Berry could only draw the gift from him but not use it himself? Why wasn't he able to keep Berry out?

Berry drew closer and Crawford backed of another step. But the floor wasn't where he expected it to be, but about forty centimetres deeper, which left him for a second fighting with his balance while cold water shot up to his ankles when he stumbled back another three steps. If he wanted to survive, he had to find a way to trick Berry's talent and quickly. If indeed he would survive… Fright, thundering with the thought of death. - There was no room for emotions. As long as Berry had his own talent, he was be as good as dead. But his brain was void of any ideas. He had no idea what could be done; everything that could have worked, had failed.

Berry just waited until he came to a halt. "You know, ever since I knew you survived, I realized that even I could kill all of you, alone. Everybody spoke so highly of you and you couldn't even stop Weiß to kill the eldest!"

Berry rounded the corner of the pool and came two steps towards him. Crawford blocked out the anger about this statement, tried to force away his fear and watched him, coming closer. He needed a solution, quickly, but his brain was completely void. Berry reached the first step, yielding and slowly through a cloud of fright, came understanding. He didn't know how to trick Berry's talent, so what? His own talent was by no means perfect; he could either see the direct future, frame by frame, exactly as it was to happen in about a second or two or images of things that were farer away. There was no use in trying to fight his talent directly; he couldn't win that. He had to plan, something in the close future, but so far away that Berry would not to realize. Who, in addition, didn't have his experience with future images and would thus make a very important mistake: believing that what he saw could be changed.

Berry came closer again and Crawford retreated another step, even though that left the water closing over his calves, pressing his trousers against them.

"Do you want to run? Go, try."

Crawford stopped, calculatingly. Lifted his eyes, lifted his fists. "Why don't you?"

Berry grinned. "So, you want to fight. Then, you will die." He stepped forward, was now in reach of another punch.

Crawford braced himself. He hated pain and what he planned would certainly be most painful. Berry's fist raced towards him, but instead of trying to avoid it, he catapulted his body towards it, the right arm lifted as if he had awaited a punch from above. The punch impacted on his ribcage, beating every single ounce of air from his lungs, before it slid off, still with such a force as if it was Berry's intention to tear the skin from his rips, at least one cracking under the blow. For a moment, everything went black with pain and lack of air in front of Crawford's eyes, until the painful impact of his knees on the steps of the pool and the cold of the water rushing up brought him back to consciousness, when he collapsed right where he had intended to; next to Berry's knees. Without hesitating a second, he drew his right arm back with every nano-Newton of force he could manage which wasn't too much anymore. But even if Berry had foreseen it, it would have been too late; his elbow hit into the hollow of Berry's right knee, the fist into the other one. You don't really need too much force to urge someone to fall in such a way, but it certainly helps. Thus, Berry's knees gave way to the force applied to them and while he was still falling, Crawford forced himself upwards, spinning around his own axis, seized Berry's shoulders and forced his whole weight against them.

Berry immediately and without a choice lost his balance, falling face first into the pitch black and very cold water of the pool. Crawford fell with him, his hands still on his shoulders, icy water shooting through at least half of his suit. Even before Berry could react, he slipped his right hand onto the head of his opponent so that he didn't even got a change to take his head from the water. Of course, Berry fought him and Crawford soon realized that the water was far to shallow as Berry was able to use the bottom to push himself up and grasp air, only bits, but he knew, he wouldn't have the strength to fight him long enough to drown him.

Cautiously and now with determined cold, he dragged Berry into a deeper part of the pool, making sure that he wouldn't be able to raise his head, until the water reached to his own breast cage, cold enough to make it even more difficult to move quickly, additionally to the as good as drenched suit. Purposeful, he let Berry come up again, seized the arm that was giving him much trouble, and in the same second pushed him down again, forcing the arm onto the back. It didn't stop Berry from fighting back with all the power he possessed, giving Crawford a lot of trouble to keep him down. Still, he could push himself up with the bottom in reach of his feet and his defence didn't even grew weaker but seemed to grow, the longer Crawford forced his head under water. Berry's defence was forceful enough that he would eventually be able drive Crawford away, long before he had drowned. Realising that Crawford didn't hesitate, but fought to finally draw his arm around the neck of the other, pressing the other arm into the back of the neck. He drew a deep breath and let himself drop back so that the water closed over both of them, the weight of both their bodies sinking them to the bottom of the pool. Crawford just waited, making sure, Berry couldn't resurface, even though he slowly felt the lack of air burning in his own throat. But Berry's defence grew fainter and fainter and he felt images of the future flashing back through his head. He knew he could hold the breath longer as Berry had been unable to breath about half a minute before he had. And Berry was fighting violently while he scarcely moved. The future flashed back into his head, frame by frame, second and at last minute by minute, the weaker Berry's movements grew. Still, his lungs were already burning, before Berry stopped and he couldn't have held the breath any longer when he finally trusted himself to surface again, making sure that Berry still stayed underneath the surface. Suddenly, just when he resurface, the images stopped, leaving his head to total emptiness once again.

Crawford stopped dead and turned towards Berry's body, feeling the carotid for several moments, the wind chilly through his soaked clothes. There was nothing to be felt. Berry was certainly dead. But why then, didn't his gift return?

He left the body on the stairs. Exhausted, nearly too exhausted to care too much about his talent, he leaned against rim of the pool, the water reaching to his breast. He certainly felt the future pulsing somewhere in the back of his head, but not close enough to be conscious. It would return, he supposed.

At the moment, there was only the present. The cold wind in his face, the soaked clothes around his body, the cold water which cooled the thumping places where Berry had hit him, taking away at least a bit of the pain that was throbbing through his body. Slowly, the future was creeping back into his mind, but the present still made him feel strangely alive.

Steps. Schuldig. Crawford wasn't quite sure whether he heard it from the steps or just knew from the future. They stopped next to him.

"Were you successful?"

"More or less."

Crawford turned around, now looking at Schuldig. The telepath didn't look good, too; there were smears of blood on his face. "More or less?"

Schuldig shrugged, kneeling down. "He realized pretty quickly that I was in his head and shut me down."

"But you did wait until we started talking, didn't you?"

Schuldig looked at him, offended. "I am not stupid!"

Crawford cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected Berry to be so strong as to control two talents at once. Which had been why he had decided to face him; to give Schuldig the opportunity to spy him.

"Don't worry; I found out what you wanted."

There was certainly a lot of blood in Schuldig's face. "Are you all right?"

"Yes… I suppose. A bit dizzy, that's all." Offering his hand.

Crawford took the hand and Schuldig helped him out of the water.

"Your glasses."

"Thank you." He took them from Schuldig, trusting them back onto his nose which made life a bit more agreeable. It didn't quite make up the fact that his body was glowing with pain and his ruined suit. "We'd better get rid of him."

Schuldig nodded. "Bad luck for him that we are on a ship." A small grin. "By the way, you remember every person we eliminated, don't you?" Looking him up and down. He looked pathetic but his behaviour didn't give the impression of it. It was fascinating to see that even Crawford got into trouble from time to time who always acted as if he had everything under control. Well, obviously he hadn't this time; his looks made Schuldig smirk.

"I should", answered he, brushing the wet hair from his forehead.

"Also a Tom Berry?"

Crawford looked at him while they lifted the body. "Never heard of him."

"Well, he thinks – thought – we killed him."

Typical. After every murder, every treasury, every crime they had committed, he got beaten up (and nearly killed) for something they hadn't done.

At least, it wasn't too far to the next railing behind which it were only about thirty metres to the ocean. Straight down. Obviously, his vision had been right. Next time, it might be a good idea to care for the rest of the fight, either.

"I commend him for going up against Schwarz", Crawford remarked, scornfully, watching the body fall.

Nagi was quite in a bad mood when he and Farfarello returned to Schuldig's and Crawford's room; why had they been commanded to search this man's quarters? Why couldn't they have been part of the fun?! Berry's partner had been asleep and of course, Farfarello had taken care of him in a way Crawford would most likely not wanted him to see. He had been the one who had to get rid of all the bloody sheets and the body and after that, they had found as good as nothing after searching nearly every possible hideout. It was so unfair that Crawford and Schuldig were always the ones who got all the good things to do and he...!

He stumped into the room after Farfarello who had liked the searching of the room (even though he would have liked the killing better) and stopped dead as soon as he had closed the door behind him. Maybe he should be quite thankful that he hadn't been part of that part of the mission. At least judging by Crawford's and Schuldig's appearance.

Schuldig, lying lazily on the bed, had smears of blood across his face and quite a bloody collar. As Nagi found out later, this was the result of Berry locking into his brain and forcing him against his will and his talent to watch, unable to move and unable to find something out. It wasn't improved by the fact that the telepath still looked a little puzzled.

Crawford on the other hand looked worse. Not only was he still soaked but also his lip had recently bleed, together with a now fixed cut on his forehead. When they entered, he was casually leaning against a cupboard and folded his arms in front of his breast. He gave Nagi a looked that told the boy very decisively that he certainly didn't like the way in which or the fact that he was staring at him.

"Well?", asked he.

"They are South African", Farfarello announced, putting two passport onto the table.

"And it seems as if they belong to Eszett. This Berry-guy has a boy, but I haven't seen a picture of a wife", Nagi went on.

Crawford nodded as Farfarello went on telling them that the two agents had set up on this journey with information about them and quite a stock of things that could kill a man. "Berry thought we have killed his son, still, this wasn't entire personal." He pushed up his glasses and went on with the things Schuldig had told him and others he had concluded: "Obviously, Eszett knows that we survived and they want us back. Alive that is, a fact that escaped Berry's notice; they still seem to need us, I suppose for their experiments."

"It was Weiß that told them", Schuldig interfered and Crawford could see that he wanted revenge. He knew he wanted, too, and if only for being humiliate to speak in front of Schwarz completely drenched.

"They seem to think that the death of the Eldest was Weiß's fault and we are on the run now because we fear their revenge (Eszett's that is, not Weiß's), which is what we intended and thus perfectly fine, even though" smirking "they are once again underestimating Schwarz."

General smirking.

"So…" Nagi started asking after a small pause. "What are we going to do? We are not returning to Eszett, are we?"

Crawford shook his head. "Of course we will not. We will get off this ship in the next harbour and fly to the States." So far nor change in their plans. "But we will change our identity."

"Can I be with you again?" Nagi liked journeys with Crawford. He was still angry because of Tot, but by no means as angry as he had been and by the looks of it, Crawford and Schuldig had paid their dues.

Crawford nodded, knowing perfectly well that Schuldig and Nagi was a very explosive combination (close to oxygen and hydrogen). Usually up to some very imprudent pranks and usually getting on far too well to stop. And he didn't like the idea anyway that Farfarello was looking after the boy. Who knew what he was teaching him? With Schuldig he knew at least that it was nonsense but with Farfarello one could never be quite sure.

"The two of us will take a later plane, you two" Looking at Schuldig and Farfarello "take the first one possible."

Satisfaction with all; Farfarello liked to travel with Schuldig and Schuldig took some joy in the company of the Irish.

"Are we going to take revenge on Weiß?" Farfarello asked, playing around with his dagger again, slowly turning it in his hand and looking halfway over to Crawford and Schuldig without turning his head. His yellowish eye gleamed in the light.

Crawford put his head to the side, striking over his lip with the thumb, his eyes glittering. Nothing that looked very engaging. "Certainly." He didn't see it in the future but he wanted to. And Crawford was a man who usually got what he wanted.

Farfarello grinned. "Good." The dagger unlocked, flashing into his hand.

Schuldig crossed his arms behind his head. "That'll be fun!" And waiting a second: "Are we going to take Aya again?"

Crawford raised an eyebrow. "I don't think we should overdo it."

"Do the others have family?" Nagi.

"Omi had. But I think, we killed those they didn't", Schuldig grinned.

Crawford sneered, remembering too well that he had had to protect both Schuldig and Farfarello from Takatori after they had killed his daughter. "Could be please get back to business?"

"Oh, Crawford, relax! – You don't look so very accomplished in…" One of those minutes in which Schuldig was happy that Crawford didn't have the talent to kill with a look. But one which told him that Crawford would use over means if he went on. Still, it didn't stop Schuldig from smirking broadly.

"So, I want you to keep a low profile the next few days. As it seems, they'll need some time to find out Berry and his companion are missing but still…" Crawford picked Berry's passport from the table and took a look at the photo. "Pity." Putting the passport down again. He had hoped, after the likeliness Schuldig and Nagi had reported he shared with Berry to be able to take over his identity, but even though height, colour and maybe the haircut (but his hair wasn't that untidy!) and –colour were about identical, the face wasn't. Even if he would develop a black eye and two or three other bruises in his face, the man behind the counter had to be blind and dumb to believe that he was Berry.

"Nagi, as soon as we left this ship, I would like you to make sure our money is accessible without Eszett knowing from where or, even better, not knowing at all that we are using it."

Nagi nodded, yawning. "As good as done."

"In three minutes, someone 's going to come down the corridor, followed by several other people for the next twenty minutes, so you'd better hurry."

Nagi and Farfarello nodded and left within another second.

Schuldig got up and left into the bathroom while Crawford leaned back to the wall, pressing his palms against his forehead. His head was hammering, not to mention the rest of his body, but compared to his head that pain was neglectable. He had indeed tried to see a lot of the future, mainly to see what would happen after Berry's death (not that they or Nagi were to meet someone, carrying a dead body or leaving from the deck). He should have rather worried about encountering Berry and not trusting on everything turning out according to his vision. And he had tried to find out how the ship would react to the murder, but that wasn't really enough to explain his strong headache. Maybe that was because of Berry inexperience with his gift; the more you used it the less the headaches got onto a certain point that was. If he hadn't had killed Berry already, he would have done now as there were white stars of pain starting to appear in front of his eyes. He better took a headache pill and slept the rest of the day.

Schuldig left the bath and without waiting for a word (and not seeing too much as the pain was growing), he went into the room and sat down on its rim while he watched the tablets dissolve the glass he prepared.

"Headache?"

"Yes." Nodding was not such a good idea. Putting the empty glass onto the sink. "You still have blood on your face."

"Yep." Turning to the mirror. "That Berry was quite a bastard!"

No answer, as Crawford was struggling with his jacket. The shoes had been hard enough but due to the fact that the jacket was wet, it was very difficult to undress, not to mention the tie.

Schuldig was carefully wiping with blood from his face and would certainly still take some time with it. Even before he had finished, Crawford left to the bedroom.

Schuldig turned back to the mirror and finished cleaning the two wounds which had been cause to all that blood. It was a pity that Crawford had killed Berry; he would have loved to have a go at him.

"Do you need any help?" He asked his friend who was proceeding slowly.

"Thank you, I think I'll manage. You can't do much about broken rips anyway, can you?"

"If one could I would have certainly learned it at Rosenkreuz."

Crawford forced himself to some sort of pained smile. Maybe the pain was due to the headache, maybe it was the memory, maybe it was both. Schuldig at least didn't want to be reminded too much of Rosenkreuz and seeing his friend in pain both with his talent and body reminded him more than he thought bearable for staying without helping. He thus turned into the bedroom to get to sleep, too.

Three days later, Schuldig watched Crawford and Nagi disappear in the crowd on the airport after they had separated to take different planes. Nagi was walking briskly to keep up with Crawford, his laptop under his arm. He was talking earnestly to the older man. Schuldig watched them disappear behind a corner and turned to the check in. He wasn't sure whether Crawford knew but in moments like this it was quite apparent that Nagi adored him. Even though Crawford was usually forbidding things or criticising him. As far as Schuldig knew, he had even slapped the boy once. But maybe it was because of this, that Nagi adored him so much; Crawford was the only person who took him a hundred percent seriously and who gave him something to orientate to, rules. Schuldig doubt that Crawford was the best idol Nagi could have gotten himself, but at least he would never let the boy down, he would never fail to be a fixing point in Nagi's life, just because of who he was, he would always show him a way. He was, in a way, the closes thing Nagi had to a father while he and Farfarello were the closest he had to brothers. Schuldig grinned to himself. Schwarz – a somewhat strange family. Crawford would hate it if he said something like that but Schuldig knew that this was about true; they were long since more than just associates or members Crawford had chosen to form a perfect team and it was certainly the best way of live anyone of them had had before they had joined Schwarz.


End file.
